Right of way battle turns fatal as trailer driver dies in Otedola bridge crash

A driver has died following a violent collision involving two heavy-duty trailers at Otedola Bridge, inward Secretariat, along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has said.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Mr Sola Giwa, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Friday in Lagos.

Giwa explained that the crash involved two trailers one laden with sand and the other conveying granite and temporarily crippled vehicular movement along the busy corridor.

“The principal incident involved a violent collision between two heavy-duty trailers, one laden with sand and the other conveying granite reportedly occasioned by a reckless contest for right of way,” he said.

According to him, the impact of the crash was severe, leading to tragic consequences. “The forceful impact led to devastating consequences, resulting in the entrapment of the driver of the sand-laden trailer, who sustained fatal injuries and was later confirmed dead,” Giwa added.

He noted that operatives of the LASTMA rescue team, who were on routine surveillance and incident monitoring, responded promptly and extricated the trapped driver. The victim was subsequently handed over to personnel of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS).

“The LASAMBUS personnel conveyed him to the General Hospital, Ikeja, where he was pronounced dead. The driver of the second trailer was rescued alive and remarkably escaped unhurt,” he said.

Giwa further disclosed that another traffic incident occurred about 50 metres from the primary crash site, where a separate trailer loaded with flour lost stability and overturned, worsening the traffic situation in the area.

“This further aggravated traffic congestion along the already compromised corridor,” he said.

To maintain order and ensure public safety, security operatives from the Police Division in Alausa were deployed to the scene.

Authorities confirmed that as of the time of filing this report, the expressway had been cleared for traffic.